Celiac Awareness

Celiac Awareness:

Yesterday was Celiac Awareness day, so in that spirit I am going to share some statistics and thoughts.  Some of you may have heard the numbers, that currently Celiac affects 1 in 133, however due to misdiagnosis that the number may be as high as 1 in 10.
What do these numbers mean? 
What this means is that while there are 1 in 133 Americans that are currently diagnosed that means that so many more are undiagnosed.

 I have a challenge for each of you willing to participate, if you know someone who has Celiac or are related to someone who has Celiac then try going gluten free for two weeks.  Think of it like a diet.  After two weeks try to eat something with Gluten in it, you will know right away if it affects you.  This is a cheaper and a surer way than any doctor’s test to let you know if you have a reaction to Gluten.

I had a friend try going gluten free with me; she did it to lose weight, after about three weeks she went out to eat and got into Gluten, yikes.  Now she knows that she needs to stay away from Gluten for the rest of her life, but she wouldn't have known had she not tried the diet.

Also if you look back through other posts you will find that I have fertility issues, Some of this is due to Celiac, I think I might have been more successful in getting and/or staying pregnant if I was able to know that I had an issue with Gluten prior to when I found out.  So for anyone who is having fertility issues it is something to check out.  Like I said it can't hurt and the most that happens is you drop a little bit of weight for a few weeks.

Now down to the symptoms that will occure if you do have an intollerence to gluten.
Todays information is brought to you by http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001280/

·         Abdominal pain, bloating, gas, or indigestion

·         Constipation

·         Decreased appetite (may also be increased or unchanged)

·         Diarrhea, either constant or off and on

·         Lactose intolerance (common when the person is diagnosed, usually goes away after treatment)

·         Nausea and vomiting

·         Stools that float, are foul smelling, bloody, or “fatty”

·         Unexplained weight loss (although people can be overweight or of normal weight)

Because the intestines do not absorb many important vitamins, minerals, and other parts of food, the following symptoms may start over time:

·         Bruising easily

·         Depression or anxiety

·         Fatigue

·         Growth delay in children

·         Hair loss

·         Itchy skin (dermatitis herpetiformis)

·         Missed menstrual periods

·         Mouth ulcers

·         Muscle cramps and joint pain

·         Nosebleeds

·         Seizures

·         Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet

·         Unexplained short height

Children with celiac disease may have:

·         Defects in the tooth enamel and changes in tooth color

·         Delayed puberty

·         Diarrhea, constipation, fatty or foul-smelling stools, nausea, or vomiting

·         Irritable and fussy behavior

·         Poor weight gain

·         Slowed growth and shorter than normal height for their age

Ok, now that the fun stuff is over, if you know someone with Celiac give them a hug for me.  The reason for this hug is that it is very hard to go out to eat and it is frustrating for most of us.  Ok since that had nothing to do with anything listed above. I am signing off.  See you all on Sunday.